Best Free Weather Apps for Truckers, Carriers and Owner Operators

Apart from traffic congestion, few factors have the ability to slow or stall truck drivers on the road than bad weather. Check out this list of the best free weather apps truckers can use to avoid bad weather or find shelter before a bad storm finds them.

Best Free Weather Apps for Truckers Help Prevent Lost Time and Trucking Company Profits

1. The Weather Channel

With both a mobile app and an app for desktop users, The Weather Channel’s app works on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, Android, Android Tablet, Windows Phone, Windows Desktop and Leap Motion, making it one of the most universally available free weather app carriers and owner-operators can use to monitor weather conditions or set up alerts.

2. FreeLocalWeather

FreeLocalWeather.com’s app also works on devices as well as desktops and gives users the ability to check local forecasts, view live radar, get severe weather alerts and track storms.

3. WeatherBlink by myway

In addition to local and long range weather forecasts, radar, satellite and storm alerts, WeatherBlink™ by myway™ also provides users with information about allergies, pollen and even cold and flu reports. It’s sources include National Weather Service, Weather Underground™ and Pollen.com©.

4. WeatherService.co and GetYourLocalWeather.com

Although not an app per se, carriers and owner-operators can instantly check current weather conditions, forecasts, view live weather radar and set up severe weather alerts on weatherservice.co. Likewise, getyourlocalweather.com allows users to type in a zip code or city to get instant information about current weather conditions.

5. Weather Underground

Used as a source by many weather apps, Weather Underground has its own free weather app for download to mobile device as well as a website for use on PC and tablet. One of the more robust options, Weather Underground provides local and regional weather conditions, detailed forecasts, global temperatures and even publishes weather-related news, blogs, photos and videos.

You’ll also find information about active fires on their site, which can be especially helpful for truck drivers during summer months. In addition, for carriers and owner-operators whose loads require coordination with air freight shipments, Weather Underground even has aviation maps and radar.

6. Intellicast

With interactive videos and weather maps, Intellicast.com offers much more than weather conditions. Under its “national” tab users can find infrared satellite, radar, see daily precipitation and even view the U.S. with a surface analysis map. In addition to its usefulness as a trucking weather app, users will also find information that might interest them off-the-road, on topics like gardening, painting and golfing.

How Bad Weather ‘Derails’ Transportation, Trucking and the Economy

Bad weather events like tornados to flooding rivers and lakes to winter storms labeled with names like “Snowmageddon” or a “polar vortex” have the ability to negatively affect trucking companies with drivers forced to wait out storms, take long detours or facing delays and expenses due to accidents that occur when driving conditions deteriorate. In fact, an Allianz report titled The Weather Business suggests that weather-related issues cost the U.S. economy as much as $534 billion each year.

When bad weather strikes it can delay shipments at all levels. Not only is over-the-road transportation often brought to a standstill due to poor visibility, impassable roads, ice and the accidents that occur because of bad driving conditions, freight moving by airplane, rail and ships can also be affected as well. In 2010, one such “Snowmageddon” event alone cause cancellation of more than 24,000 flights.

Winter isn’t the only season whose weather conditions impact carriers and owner operators, causing accidents, delays and down time. Summer weather conditions including coastal hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes commonly occur during the warm months of the year. In addition, weather-related illnesses like the flu, colds and even allergies can put drivers out of commission, resulting in lost time and trucking company profits.

Carriers and owner-operators can help prevent lost time and diminished profitability by using weather apps to monitor weather conditions. Not only can this help truckers avoid storms, it can also ensure their safety by giving them time to take a detour or find shelter when bad weather is on the horizon. Take advantage of this list of the best free weather apps for truckers and make planning around weather-related conditions part of your daily process in order to minimize potential negative impacts.

You might also like: Best Traffic Apps and Worst Congestion Choke Points for Truckers, Carriers and Owner Operators

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